Boris Johnson to urge G7 to vaccinate world against Covid by end of 2022

5 June 2021, 22:30

The Prime Minister will call on fellow leaders at the G7 in Cornwall to pledge to vaccinate the world's population against coronavirus by the end of 2022
The Prime Minister will call on fellow leaders at the G7 in Cornwall to pledge to vaccinate the world's population against coronavirus by the end of 2022. Picture: PA

By Kate Buck

The Prime Minister will call on fellow leaders at the G7 in Cornwall to pledge to vaccinate the world's population against coronavirus by the end of 2022.

With the face-to-face gathering of leaders due to take place on Friday, Boris Johnson is planning to use the UK's G7 presidency to implore his counterparts to "rise to the greatest challenge of the post-war era" and put a stop to the pandemic by ensuring every person on the globe has access to a jab within the next 18 months.

"Next week the leaders of the world's greatest democracies will gather at an historic moment for our countries and for the planet," said Mr Johnson.

Read more: Second Covid-19 jabs ‘to be sped up for over 40s’

Read more: UK hits 40 million people vaccinated as Covid cases rise

"The world is looking to us to rise to the greatest challenge of the post-war era: defeating Covid and leading a global recovery driven by our shared values.

"Vaccinating the world by the end of next year would be the single greatest feat in medical history.

Portugal green travel list: Tory MP says it doesn't seem as if the government followed the science

"I'm calling on my fellow G7 leaders to join us to end to this terrible pandemic and pledge will we never allow the devastation wreaked by coronavirus to happen again."

The call comes after the UK Government has faced questions over its own dosage donations to Covax, the United Nations-backed scheme aiming to make vaccines available to low and middle income countries.

MPs and peers wrote to Mr Johnson last week urging him to follow the lead of the likes of Germany, France and Italy who have committed to donating at least 100 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines before the end of the year, while they said the UK had only so far vowed to donate surplus shots in future to Covax.

The Health Secretary told reporters on Friday that the UK would "absolutely" look to donate spare doses - following through on a Government pledge made in February - but that there were not any available currently.

"At the moment we don't have any excess doses, we're just getting them into arms as quickly as possible," Matt Hancock told reporters.

The Carbis Bay hotel ahead of the G7 summit in the Cornish village
The Carbis Bay hotel ahead of the G7 summit in the Cornish village. Picture: PA

Downing Street argued that the UK had "led efforts to ensure the world's poorest and most vulnerable people have access to vaccines", referencing the part played by the Westminster Government in funding the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab.

With the jab made available at cost, No 10 said almost one in three shots administered around the world have been the Oxford vaccine, with 96% of the 80 million shots administered by Covax supplied by AstraZeneca.

Read more: G7 - Chancellor hails agreement to make big firms pay 'fair share' of tax

Officials also highlighted the "significant financial contribution" of £548 million given to Covax in its early formation.

G7 leaders will arrive in Cornwall's Carbis Bay on Friday for three days of meetings, with a focus on how the group, which includes the US and Germany, can lead the global recovery from coronavirus, officials said.

No 10 said the Prime Minister will tell them that to end the coronavirus pandemic for good, the world's biggest economies must go further and pledge to vaccinate the world by the end of next year.

He is set to make the case for stepping up the manufacture of vaccines, lowering barriers to the international distribution of those vaccines and sharing surplus doses with developing countries bilaterally and through Covax.

During those sessions the leaders, including those from Canada, Japan, France and Italy, will be joined virtually by experts, including the UK's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance, philanthropist Melinda French Gates and environmentalist David Attenborough.

On Saturday, the G7 countries will be joined either in person or virtually by the leaders of Australia, South Africa, South Korea and India for discussions on health and climate change.

As well as asking leaders to boost efforts to vaccinate the world, the Prime Minister will ask for their support for the Global Pandemic Radar - a new global surveillance system which will protect immunisation programmes against new vaccine-resistant variants by detecting them before they have the chance to spread.

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

Captain Tom's Daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore

Behaviour at Captain Tom charity left ex-boss 'gobsmacked'

Armed robbers attempted to break into the star's Sunderland home.

Masked machete-wielding robbers break into Charlotte Crosby's home while she is upstairs with two-year-old daughter

Police have released new CCTV of Harshita Brella and her husband

Chilling CCTV released of Harshita Brella and prime murder suspect husband on night she was killed

First photos of Gavin and Stacey Christmas Special as James Corden and Ruth Jones mark triumphant finale

First photos of Gavin and Stacey Christmas Special as James Corden and Ruth Jones mark show's triumphant finale

King Charles performs a Hongi, a traditional Maori greeting, with Mere Takoko

King Charles shares traditional Maori nose rub greeting with activist as he launches environmental charity

Putin issued a chilling threat to the West as he confirmed Russia launched a ballistic missile against Ukraine

Putin issues chilling warning to UK and US as he confirms Russia hit Ukraine with new 'experimental' ballistic missile

Telegraph writer Allison Pearson.

Police drop investigation into journalist Allison Pearson over tweet - as review to be launched over handling of case

Exclusive
Angela Rayner has paid tribute to John Prescott

Angela Rayner says John Prescott 'used to call her after PMQs to remind her to stay true to who she is'

Four men have been arrested accused of attempting to rob a mobile phone store

Undercover police arrest four men after EE shop raided by masked gang

Matt Gaetz withdraws as Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general amid sexual misconduct allegations

Matt Gaetz withdraws as Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general amid sexual misconduct allegations

Donald Trump Watches SpaceX Launch Its Sixth Test Flight Of Starship Spacecraft

Elon Musk pledges to fire civil servants who work from home

Seven-month-old baby mauled to death by family dog after leaning on animal while crawling, inquest hears

Seven-month-old baby mauled to death by family dog sustained 'catastrophic' injuries after leaning on pet, inquest hears

Starmer has backed the International Criminal Court over its arrest warrant for Netanyahu

Starmer backs International Criminal Court after it issues arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu

Five men charged over smuggling of migrants from UK to France in lorries

Five men charged over smuggling of migrants from UK to France in lorries following dawn raids

Rhiannon Skye Whyte was stabbed to death in Walsall

South Sudanese teen accused of murdering asylum seeker hotel worker with screwdriver 'refuses to appear in court'

Will Guyatt questions who is responsible for the safety of children online

Are Zuckerberg and Musk responsible for looking after my kids online?